According to the report, Amazon
has already filed for paperwork to get trademark protection in
more than 20 product categories, including milk, coffee, soup,
pasta, and water, as well as household products such as razors
and cleaners.

Amazon has also approached some
private-label food companies, including TreeHouse Foods,
according to the report which cited anonymous
sources.

The new products would be an
extension of Amazon's Elements brand, which
launched in December, with two products, diapers and baby
wipes, the latter of which shut down in January after lukewarm
customer response. Elements products are only available to Amazon
Prime members, who pay a $99 annual membership fee.

Since these are food products,
Amazon could face more questions around the quality of its
manufacturing process. But all Amazon Elements products reveal
information about ingredients and when and where they were
manufactured.

It's unclear why exactly Amazon
is moving into this category now, but the WSJ report says it will
help the company increase its profit margins because private
label products generally cost less to advertise and distribute.
Amazon lost $241 million on $89 billion in sales last
year.